When it comes to pruning, there are many techniques and tips that can help keep your trees healthy and happy.

We are going to share with you some tips on pruning effectively and some of the tools you will need.

What are the benefits of pruning?

Pruning helps maintain the size of trees. Trees that grow too large for their location can cause over-shading, possible damage to the surrounding objects and can end up with limbs getting overloaded and snapping.

When you prune, you are able to remove any hazardous limbs, deadwood or any crossing branches that could cause trouble.

Pruning will also allow light and air trough the tree which assists in keeping your tree healthy and strong.

Differences in pruning juvenile and mature trees

When pruning a young tree you are essentially creating a blueprint for how you want them to form. Whereas when you prune a mature tree you are generally doing remedial works to their canopy or to reduce their size. Mature trees will already have their shape.

What tools do we use?

On many of our sites, the basic equipment we would use to maintain a tree would be a hand saw (We like Silky) and throw linesto which allows us to reach any difficult areas. For larger diameter cuts we would use a top handle chainsaw, and for those hard to reach places we would use a pole saw.

What tools do you need?

If you are looking to prune your own trees, to allow more light into your garden for the summer, it is essential for your own health and safety that you only ever climb into a tree if you have the necessary qualifications.

If you want to gain access to the tree without climbing then use an A-Frame ladder for stability and a long reach pole saw. These two tools will help you reduce the tips of the tree.

The Do’s and Don’ts

DO reduce the surface area of any cut: Any cut you make to the tree you want there to me as little surface area as possible so that it’s as difficult as possible for any pathogens or diseases to get into the trees system.

DO keep the canopy balanced: If you reduce one side of the tree it is important to make sure the other side is reduced equally in order to keep an even load on the trunk.

DON’T damage the main stem. Avoid cutting or putting any objects around the stem that will hinder its growth.

So get that A-Frame ladder out and sharpen up that long reach pole saw. But if you decide you’d rather leave the work to someone else, then contact us.